Jerry West, "There are a lot of lousy players in the league today".

[triangleoffense]

They just interviewed him on NBATV.

I tried to get the quotes as close as possible... but he definately sound bitter. He kept complimenting Kobe, and then taking a swipes at the NBA.

the NBA is fixed garbage that protects superstars and scripts playoff matchups. West would know better than anyone.

[paintingshade]

i can't believe anyone who says the players today don't work as hard... that's a ridiculous notion. you have no idea the MASS quantity of players that WANT to be in the NBA. look at the nbdl. TONS of athleticism/raw talent out there, yet only a fraction of a percentage will get to the NBA, even on a 10 day contract. NBA players salaries are a reflection of demand/amount of discretionary spending available to the public on average. they get that kind of money because NO ONE can do their jobs but them. you wanna make that money? you think its easy? go get on an NBA team then. do it. learn the "fundamentals". you will NEVER, EVER, EVER reach that goal.

and watch some freakin' tape of 60s and 70s ball, shots and layups aren't nearly as contested as they are now.

in the end, the cream rises to the top. the NBA is the top.

[hawkfan]

There's no center who was as good as Kareem was during his prime and there never will be.

[clayton]

who cares what the white man got to say, we black presidents now

Who is clearly a puppet.

[imlmf]

old geezer's just mad cause kobe past him

i mean, don't kid yourself, some of today's player would average 50 in your day

[Showtime]

old geezer's just mad cause kobe past him

He's the reason Kobe became a laker instead of wasting his career getting beaten up by superior eastern squads ala McGrady.

i mean, don't kid yourself, some of today's player would average 50 in your day

Funny, seeing as some of the players he played with could be the best players in the league today, and they didn't put up 50ppg. Plus, it's hard to score 50 without the calls, the 3 line, and not being able to carry and travel constantly.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

old geezer's just mad cause kobe past him

i mean, don't kid yourself, some of today's player would average 50 in your day

he considers kobe his product so i can't imagine he's that mad. i'd like to see this interview tho.

[imlmf]

He's the reason Kobe became a laker instead of wasting his career getting beaten up by superior eastern squads ala McGrady.


Funny, seeing as some of the players he played with could be the best players in the league today, and they didn't put up 50ppg. Plus, it's hard to score 50 without the calls, the 3 line, and not being able to carry and travel constantly.

i overexaggerated a little but my point is,

what is it that players in the 60s 70s can do that today's players can't?

his reasoning is pretty weak, palming the ball, travelling?

if the ref start calling those, i guarantee you these travelling will disappear in two weeks

[Showtime]

what is it that players in the 60s 70s can do that today's players can't?

There's a difference between what a player can do, and what he does do.

his reasoning is pretty weak, palming the ball, travelling?

Players fall into tendencies, especially ones they have relied upon over the course of their development. Many refs totally ignore when a player's hand is on the side of the ball during the course of a dribble, when that didn't used to be allowed. Many players don't correctly use their pivot foots or jump stops because the refs don't consistently enforce travel rules. If your magical time travel device transported a modern day player back to the 60's, he would not be able to play his style of basketball without adjustment.

[Number2]

i can't believe anyone who says the players today don't work as hard... that's a ridiculous notion. you have no idea the MASS quantity of players that WANT to be in the NBA. look at the nbdl. TONS of athleticism/raw talent out there, yet only a fraction of a percentage will get to the NBA, even on a 10 day contract. NBA players salaries are a reflection of demand/amount of discretionary spending available to the public on average. they get that kind of money because NO ONE can do their jobs but them. you wanna make that money? you think its easy? go get on an NBA team then. do it. learn the "fundamentals". you will NEVER, EVER, EVER reach that goal.

I know that players work hard in today's game. But Elgin Baylor nearly averaged 40-20 while regularly flying coach to serve his country between games, missing practice and sometimes showing up just hours before game time. He did this because he *had* to. If you think Stephen Jackson shooting up cars compares to that, then I don't know what to say.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Do people not realize that players today would look a lot less quick if they had to dribble with their hand on top of the ball at all times, "patting" at it like players used to do? You can't accelerate nearly as quickly, or change directions nearly as fast, because you don't have the ball control. Try running up the block as fast as you can dribbling old school style and tell me how fast you can go. Then do a cone drill dribbling the same way. At least 80-90% of the perceived difference in speed/quickness between 60's players and today's players is a result of this.

[LAClipsFan33]

Do people not realize that players today would look a lot less quick if they had to dribble with their hand on top of the ball at all times, "patting" at it like players used to do? You can't accelerate nearly as quickly, or change directions nearly as fast, because you don't have the ball control. Try running up the block as fast as you can dribbling old school style and tell me how fast you can go. Then do a cone drill dribbling the same way. At least 80-90% of the perceived difference in speed/quickness between 60's players and today's players is a result of this.

Good point

[imlmf]

There's a difference between what a player can do, and what he does do.



Players fall into tendencies, especially ones they have relied upon over the course of their development. Many refs totally ignore when a player's hand is on the side of the ball during the course of a dribble, when that didn't used to be allowed. Many players don't correctly use their pivot foots or jump stops because the refs don't consistently enforce travel rules. If your magical time travel device transported a modern day player back to the 60's, he would not be able to play his style of basketball without adjustment.

i know, what i was saying was it's ref's fault for not calling those violations

so it shouldn't be used as an argument to prove today's players are worse then their counter parts in the old days

if the league suddenly stricten up the rules players can adjust very quickly anyway

[EricForman]

the face of the league right now is a guy who should be averaging 10 TOs a game if refs had the balls to call traveling on him.

you talking about kobe right?

[Dizzle-2k7]

I have no problem with players palming the ball... only people from the 50s/60s/70s see that as carrying, but I see it as good ass handles..

the "traveling" should not be tolerated though, at all. I dont care how far along we come in athleticism, handles, defense, etc.. 3 steps should be a travel in 1950 and 2050.

But Jerry West?..just sounds bitter.